The Alcoholic

The length of time it takes to develop alcoholism varies from person to person. A number of factors are involved, with genetics being one of the primary contributors to addiction. An individual who is genetically predisposed to be more susceptible to addiction can develop alcoholism much more quickly than someone who isn’t.

It is possible to become an alcoholic right away when one starts drinking. In general though, developing alcoholism takes longer than developing an addiction to most drugs. It can be a slow progression that begins with a few occasional drinks. Then, the situation can escalate to alcohol abuse and eventually alcoholism. Most people can control their consumption of alcohol for a long time before it gets out of hand. They may go through periods of alcohol abuse and periods of sobriety or minimal drinking.

When it does become a full-blown addiction to alcohol, the individual is unable to control how much they drink because they are physically and psychologically dependent on the substance. One of the reasons why people with alcoholism are often in denial and believe that they can quit whenever they want is because they were able to do so for a long time. However, once a line has been crossed and the condition has become alcoholism, the vast majority are unable to quit without professional addiction treatment. This is due to the changes that the disease creates in their body and brain.

The best time to get help for an alcohol problem is as soon as possible. Treatment for alcohol abuse is usually much easier than for alcoholism. Alcohol abuse can often be handled in an outpatient treatment program. However, there is still a lot of hope for someone who already has alcoholism, though addiction recovery will require more work. A residential rehab facility is generally the best option for dependency.

Posted in: Alcohol Abuse, Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol Recovery, Alcoholism, alcohol